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Ryder Cup: Tiger Woods takes blame for U.S. failures in Ryder Cup

Former world No. 1 Tiger Woods conceded Tuesday at Medinah Country Club that he is to blame for the Europeans winning six of the last eight Ryder Cup matches.

Fans take pictures as Tiger Woods hits a shot on the ninth hole Wednesday during a practice round for the Ryder Cup tournament at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill. (David J. Phillip / The Associated Press)

By Steve DiMeglio USA Today

Wed., Sept. 26, 2012

MEDINAH, ILL.—Since making his debut in the 1997 Ryder Cup, Tiger Woods has won 13 of his 14 major championships and 68 of his 74 PGA Tour titles, including 16 World Golf Championships.

But he’s been on just one winning Ryder Cup team. The former world No. 1, who was rehabbing a surgically repaired left knee when the U.S. last won in 2008, conceded Tuesday at Medinah Country Club that he is to blame for the Europeans winning six of the last eight matches.

“Certainly I am responsible for that, because I didn’t earn the points that I was put out there for,” said Woods, who is 13-14-2 in the Ryder Cup. “I believe I was out there, what, in five sessions each time, and I didn’t go 5-0 on our side. So I certainly am a part of that, and that’s part of being a team. I needed to go get my points for my team, and I didn’t do that.

“Hopefully I can do that this week, and hopefully the other guys can do the same and we can get this thing rolling.”

U.S. captain Davis Love III and Woods were partners three times in the Ryder Cup, notching a 2-1 record. Love said Woods shouldn’t shoulder the blame for the misfortunes of the U.S.

“You look at a lot of our great players, and they don’t have great Ryder Cup records. I think if you’re .500 in the Ryder Cup, you’re pretty dang good. If you’re above .500, like Seve (Ballesteros) and Jose (Maria Olazabal), you’ve had an incredible run in the Ryder Cups,” Love said. “It’s tough to win, first of all. I kind of throw the Jim Furyk or the Phil Mickelson or Tiger Woods record of wins and losses out. There’s a reason why these guys keep making teams, and I don’t look a whole lot at the record.

“Tiger has played a lot of times and he’s ended up with a lot of partners. And he can play great and the partner might not. I know I messed Tiger up a couple times, so I’m part of his problem.”

Woods, who has played in every match in the six Ryder Cups he’s participated in and was on the winning 1999 squad, has won a lot in the Chicago area and has good vibes heading into the 39th Ryder Cup that begins Friday in this suburb of the Windy City.

Woods has won seven Tour titles in the area, including the PGA Championship in 1999 and 2006 at Medinah.

“I’ve always loved coming here,” said Woods, a three-time winner this year on the Tour. “I enjoy playing in Chicago, and for some reason, I’ve just had a lot of success here. I don’t know what it is. But I seem to be very, very comfortable here.

“We are going to have a great atmosphere here, and it’s going to be a lot of fun. It will certainly be partisan, there’s no doubt about it. It will be loud. It will be raucous. It will obviously be in our favour, just like it is for Europe when we go over to Europe. But, hey, it’s part of the deal. And you go out there and you play and you execute and you try and win points for your team, and hopefully we can get the Cup.”

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